Automatic coupling for railway cars



. FLGKEGER Amor-mmc COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed N015. 2H 1925 Patented Dec. Z3, 1924..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTFRIED FLCKIG-ER, OF ESCHERT, SWITZERLAND.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application led November 26, 1923. Serial No. 677,009.

is arranged on cranked pivot axle and securely maintained in the uncoupling position as well as in the coupling position, which latter it adopts automatically by locking devices, one for each position. The one locking device is automatically released and the coupling is closed, the other coupling device having to be operated by hand for uncoupling and comprising means for bringing the draw-hook into the open position.

rThe invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, with the understanding that while on the drawings one embodiment of the invention is disclosed, the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be embodied in any manner which does not make a material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 show the coupling device in longitudinal section at the open and closed position respectively.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the draw-bar 2 is mounted in the end beam 1 of a railway car so that it can move in vertical and horizontal direction. Buffer springs, not shown on the drawing, serve for elastically supporting the draw-bar in longitudinal direction. The draw bars 2 are maintained in medium vertical position by means of supporting springs not shown on the drawing. The draw-bars 2 have each at the free front end a buffer casing 3 in which symmetrically to the vertical central plane on the one side of this place a coupling link 4., adapted to oscillate in vertical direction and on the other side of the central plane a draw-hook 5 is arranged which is adapted to swing in the longitudinal direction of said coupling link. A guiding funnel 6 under the coupling link is designed to receive a directing bolt 7 arranged underthe "f draw-hook of the opposite coupling. The directing bolts 7 of the two parts of the coupling project from the end of the buffer casing and penetrate into the directing funnel of the opposite coupling part when two rail- I way cars come in contact before the two buffer casings have come in contact, so that the buffer casings are mutually adjusted by the parts 6 and 7. The draw-hook 5 is mounted on a horizontal cranked pivot axle 8 the cranked part of which is of such dimension that when the draw-hook is in the coupling position Fig. 2) the horizontal central plane of the coupling link gripping over the draw hook and resting upon the cranked part of the pivot axle is situated in the horizontal central plane of the journals of the pivots. In alignment with the drawhook beyond the cranked part of the pivot axle an arm 9 is arranged which is bent t0- wards the bottom of the buffer casing and has a weighted extension 10. By this weighted arm 9 the pivot axle 8 is maintained in a position in which the draw-hook adopts the coupling position. In this position the inner surface 11 of the draw-hook is inclined inwardly in upward direction towards a tongue 12 which is bent inwards and downwards so that by this inner surface 11 and the curved tongue an automatic disengaging of the coupling link is absolutely prevented. The draw-hook is maintained in the open position by a pawl 14 with heavy head 13, said pawl engaging under a stud 15 laterally projecting from arm 9. This stud 15 when the arm 9 is swinging upward pushes back the pawl 14: which hangs in approximately vertical position owing to its heavy head so that said pawl, as soon as the stud 15 has left the inclined back face of the pawl hook, swings under said stud 15. On the pawl 14 a rod 16 is hinged which is cranked in upward direction and projects from the flange of the buffer casing. This rod 16 strikes directly before the closing of l the coupling against the flange of the opposite buffer casing so that it is pushed back, whereby the pawl 14 is made to oscillate inwards away from stud 15. The arm 9 loses consequently its support and swings downward, whereby the pivot axle tpgether with the draw hook is rotated from position Fig. 1 into the position Fig. 2. Upon the lower surface of the buffer casing a pawl 18 is keyed on a shaft 17 which is parallel to the new ends of which are bent in outward-direction.

The arm 21 of thelever is longer than the armf22fso that the lever is 'overweighted towardsthej side of arm120 and tends to turn through .the intermediary of saidy arm 20 the pafwlxfl-S towards the side of the drawi* hook. The pawl 18 Aserves for holding the drawshook'inits lcoupling position and it grips-for this purpose over the free .end of the arm 9l which is in the lower end position. :Oni the opposite end 'a shaft 17 projecting from the buffer casing of lever 23 is keyed which projects towards lthe other buffer casing. The free end ofthis lever 23 is slightly curved in upward direction and grips over the free end of the arm 21 of the `oppositeleverQl--QQ-Qy A shaftQLl mounted in the beam l of the car servesr for operating the pawl 18 in order'to release the draw- 'h'ook.. Oni the'outer end of shaft 24 a lever E25 aand' on 'its inner end a lever 26 and a weighted lever 27 are mounted, the latter serving as 'counterweight for lever 26 so 'that 'the lever26 is heldin the position in 'which' it is not in 'contact with lever arm 22. 28is a nose which Ais arranged `outside the pivt axle 8 in front of theidraw-hook 5 and which'serves for guiding, when thecoupling isb'eing closed, the hook. .lnorder to enable 'that during the adoption of the improved railway car coupling the railway Vcarsfmay be coupled' by means of the actually usedzscrew coupling a screw spindle 33 is suspended 'in the buffer casing to an eye 31 by means of alink 32, the butter casing being .provided with an aperture 80. This screw spindle carries a nut 35 with coupling link 34 and a lever 36 designed for rotating saidfscrew spindle.l The operation and effect of the improved coupling for railway Acarsis as follows In Fig. 1 the draw-hooks areshown .in 'the open position and their backs29 form the extension in upward direction ofthe iniclined back ofthe nose 28. The rod 16 pro- 'jects'from the free endfof the buffer casing `and the pawl 18is in the range of -arm 9.

The lcoupling link 4 projecting from the buffer casing rests in inclined position upon the 4upper edge *of the directing funnel 6. For coupling two railway cars the cars are 'moved the one towards 4the other until the buffer bells come in contact. At this occasion first the directing bolts 7 penetrate into the directing funnels and adjust `the Itwo coupling parts accurately the one with regard to the other. The coupling links 4 slide over the '.noses28 To disengage the coupling the lever 25 is turned so that lever 2G makes the lever 22 move in downward direction. By the arm21 the leve-r 23jof the other coupling member is at the same time turned in upward direction. Theypawls 18 of the two coupling parts are consequently moved away from arms 9 which are now turned upwardly bythe arms 2O so that the draw-hooks are rotated and the inner surfaces adopt an inclined position in outward direction. Thecoupling links can now slide over said draw hooks, The 'uncoupling can be e'dected during the travel easily even with the greatest admis'- sible pulling as `the coupling links` engage with the draw-hooks in the horizontal vplane of the pivot axle of said draw-hooks so that they tend neither vto turn said drawhooks in the one nor .in the other direction. Only that power has consequently to be eX- pended which is required for operating the locking pawls 18. As soon as the arms 9 are turned upwards by the arms 20 coming in contact with the noses 19 of saidk arms .()tlie contact pointsof the coupling links get above the horizontal central planeof the pivot axles 8, whereupon thedrawfhoolts, when the uncoupling is done during the travel, are turned in thejopening direction bythe traction forces acting upon thesame.

.The coupling links slide thenover the inner outwardly inclined surfaces 11` of the draw hooks 5 whereupon the two coupling. parts separate vand the draw hooks are locked in the open, position.` The uncouplingcan-be elfectedfrom the side ofthe car.

I claim s 1. An automatic'conpling for railway cars comprising in combination a drawhook andl f' a coupling link, a cranked pivot 'aXle for the sov d v"aw-hook, two locking devices for' locking l the draw hook in the ope-n position and in the coupling position, means for lbringing v said draw hook automatically into the' cou- I pling position, means for releasing'on'e .of saidy locking devices automatically when the coupling isbeing closed, means foroperating' the other locking device by :hand for opening the coupling, andy means for bringing said draw-hook into the open position. y

2. An automatic coupling for :railway cars comprising in combination af-draw-'hook and a coupling link, a cranked pivotl axle for the draw-hook, the crank of this pivot axle being of such dimensions that in the closed position of the draw-hook the coupling link resting upon said cranked part of the pivot axle is situated in the central plane of said pivot axle, two locking devices for locking the draw hook in the open position and in the coupling position, means for bringing said draw hook automatically into the coupling position, means for releasing one of said locking devices automatically when the co-upling is being closed, means for operating the other locking device by hand for opening the coupling and means for bringing said draw-hook into the open position.

3. An automatic coupling for railway cars comprising in combination a buffet casing, a coupling link adapted toI swing up and down arranged at one side of the vertical centre plane of said casing, a draw hook adapted to oscillate in the longitudinal direction of the coupling link and arranged at the other side of said vertical centre plane, a cranked pivot axle on which said drawhook is keyed, a weighted arm on said pivot pin for maintaining said draw hook in the coupling position, and a pawl for locking said weighted arm in its position.

4. An automatic coupling for railway cars comprising in combination a buffer casing, a coupling link adapted to swing up and down arranged at one side of the vertical centre plane of said casing, a draw hook adapted to oscillate in the longitudinal direction of the coupling link and arranged at the other side of said vertical centre plane, a cranked pivot axle on which said drawhook is keyed, a weighted arm on said pivot pin for maintaining said draw hook in the coupling position, a pawl for locking said weighted arm in its position, a rod projecting from the front end of the coupling casing and hingedly connected with said locking pawl said projecting rod being pushed back by the casing of the opposite coupling when the coupling parts come in contact with one another so that it makes he pawl oscillate and release the weighted ever.

An automatic coupling for railway cars comprising in combination a buer casing, a coupling link adapted to swing up and down arranged at one side of the vertical centre plane of said casing, a draw hook adapted to oscillate in the longitudinal direction of the coupling link and arranged at the other side of said vertical centre plane, a cranked pivot axle on which said drawhook is keyed, a weighted arm on said pivot pin for maintaining said draw hook in the coupling position, a pawl for locking said weighted arm in its position, a shaft parallel to said pivot axle of the draw hook on which shaft said locking pawl is keyed, an arm of said shaft engaging under said weighted. arm, a twoarmed lever pivotally mounted on one of the ends of said shaft Which project from the buffer casing said two-armed lever having outwardly bent ends, a lever on the opposite end of said shaft projecting from the bu'er casing said lever projecting over one ofthe outwardly bent ends of the two-armed lever of the coupling member of the opposite car so that when one of said shafts is being rotated the shaft of the opposite coupling member is rotated also and the weighted arms of the cranked 'pivot axles of both coupling members are released by the locking pawls and make the corresponding draw-hooks adopt the open position.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. n

GOTTFRIED FLUCKIGER.

Witnesses KNss CHRISTIAN, AMsTUTz SAMUEL. 

